Hello New Friend: Finding a New Way Home with Our Pet Loss Grief

Hello New Friend: Finding a New Way Home with Our Pet Loss Grief

Hello New Friend is a modern folk tale for our children and our inner child. It is a comforting story about the transition in life that we call "Chasing the Sunset" and was written to help find a new path to navigate the heart-aching time when we lose a beloved pet. Star's purpose is to love your pet and bring them to their new home with their Star Family. It is the journey through this difficult time of change and the invitation for us to connect with them through sunsets, stars, and love. Hold onto the memories; they will hold you in their arms. May we all twinkle on together. Colleen, an interior designer and artist living in San Francisco, shares her life with senior dogs-those with limited time and fragile health. Alongside her husband Alex, they adopt, foster, and fospice these gentle souls, offering them love in their final days. The loss they experience is frequent, but Colleen has come to see grief as part of the journey, a lesson she learned after the sudden death of her first husband. Caring for these animals, despite the inevitable heartbreak, is worth every moment.Living in a place where nature's beauty thrives-where the Pacific Ocean crashes against cliffs, redwoods offer their shade, and the mountains stand watch-has shaped Colleen's view on life and loss. Mother Nature, in all her wonder, is a guide. All creatures, great and small, are part of this story.Her business, Chasing Sunsets, in Pacifica, CA, is dedicated to pet memory and memorials, helping others honor the love they've shared with their pets. Giving back is central to her vision. She co-founded Hustle Love Paws, a nonprofit supporting spay and neuter programs across the Bay Area and beyond.In her book, written for children and the child within us all, Colleen reminds us that even in the hardest moments-when our beloved pets "Chase the Sunset"-we are never alone. The stars, the moon, and the ocean's horizon are there, guiding us through loss with hope and love.